Is it normal to not be able to do pre-LASIK testing because the patient can't open their eyes far enough?
FEB 13, 2013
Question:
Is it sometimes normal not to be able to get a good picture of a person’s cornea because they can't get their eyes open far enough? My son was sent home and had to reschedule to have his LASIK surgery done because they couldn't get his eye open enough to get a good picture. Is this a normal problem?
Answer:
A number of conditions can cause a decreased palpebral fissure (the opening between the eyelids). In fact, many times it can be a hereditary finding that has been passed down through generations. While this can be a problem with LASIK or other eye surgeries, it does not cause any permanent vision problems or lead to a loss in vision. It can make it difficult to perform procedures such as LASIK. If the eyes are unable to open for LASIK testing, they likely could not perform all the preoperative measurements needed for surgery, which means the surgery could have a poor outcome so it was likely smart to abort if testing could not be completed. They could attempt using medication such as valium prior to the next appointment as this sometimes allows better relaxation and increased opening of the eyelids.